Law Justice

Madras Torture Commission appointed

A commission was appointed to investigate the torture of ryots by revenue officials in the Madras Presidency.

Indian Penal Code comes into force

Drafted under Macaulay and enacted in 1860, the Indian Penal Code took effect throughout British India, the Madras Presidency included.

Madras High Court established

Crown Letters Patent created the High Court of Judicature at Madras in place of the Supreme Court of Madras.

T. Muthuswamy Iyer becomes first Indian judge of Madras High Court

T. Muthuswamy Iyer became the first Indian to be appointed a judge of the Madras High Court, a decision that caused controversy at the time.

Madras High Court building inaugurated

After three decades in temporary quarters, the Madras High Court moved into its Indo-Saracenic complex, inaugurated on 12 July 1892.

Tamil translation of 'Why I am an Atheist' banned

Bhagat Singh's 'Why I am an Atheist' in Tamil was banned by the Madras government, which also arrested the translator and the publisher.

Lakshmikanthan murder case

Film stars M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and N. S. Krishnan were convicted in the murder of journalist C. N. Lakshmikanthan, later freed on appeal.

Supreme Court strikes down the Communal G.O. in Champakam Dorairajan case

Madras State's caste-based Communal Government Order on college admissions was struck down by the Supreme Court.

Sarkaria Commission of Inquiry into the DMK government

A one-man commission under Justice R. S. Sarkaria was appointed to inquire into corruption charges against the dismissed DMK government.

Vachathi atrocity

In Dharmapuri district, a raid on the tribal village of Vachathi by police, forest and revenue officials left villagers assaulted and women raped.

Jayalalithaa arrested in colour TV case

Former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was arrested and remanded in judicial custody in a corruption case over the purchase of colour televisions.

Jain Commission interim report on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination

Criticism of the DMK over the LTTE in the Jain Commission's interim report prompted Congress to demand the party's exit, bringing down the Gujral government.

TADA court sentences 26 to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

A designated TADA court at Poonamallee sentenced all 26 accused on trial to death for the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.

Supreme Court verdict in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

The Supreme Court upheld the convictions of seven accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and acquitted the other 19 sentenced by a TADA court.

Pleasant Stay verdict and the Dharmapuri bus burning

Jayalalithaa was sentenced to a year's imprisonment in the Pleasant Stay hotel case; in the violence that followed, three agricultural students were burnt to death in a bus at Dharmapuri.

Jayalalithaa convicted in the TANSI land case

A trial court convicted Jayalalithaa and Sasikala over the purchase of state TANSI land by their firms in 1992, a verdict that barred her from the 2001 election.

Vaiko arrested under POTA

MDMK leader Vaiko was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for a speech supporting the LTTE and spent over a year and a half in jail.

Jayalalithaa assets case transferred to Bangalore

On a DMK petition, the Supreme Court moved the disproportionate assets trial of J. Jayalalithaa from Chennai to a special court in Bangalore.

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court opens

A permanent bench of the Madras High Court began functioning in Madurai to serve the southern districts.

Veerappan killed in Operation Cocoon

The forest brigand Veerappan was killed by the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force near Dharmapuri, ending a decades-long manhunt.

Arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya

Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchi math was arrested in the Sankararaman murder case; he and the other accused were acquitted in 2013.

Supreme Court allows higher Mullaperiyar level; Kerala passes dam law

The Supreme Court allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the Mullaperiyar dam's level to 142 feet; Kerala responded with a law capping it at 136 feet.

Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal final award

The Cauvery tribunal issued its final award allocating river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

Police and lawyers clash in the Madras High Court

A police action against lawyers on the Madras High Court campus led to an inquiry by former Supreme Court judge B. N. Srikrishna.

2G spectrum case arrests

Former Telecom Minister A. Raja and later Kanimozhi were arrested in the 2G spectrum case; a special court acquitted all accused in 2017.

Supreme Court verdict on Mullaperiyar dam

The Supreme Court allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the Mullaperiyar reservoir level to 142 feet and struck down Kerala's law restricting it.

Jayalalithaa convicted in disproportionate assets case

A Bengaluru special court convicted Jayalalithaa, forcing her to resign; the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in 2015 and she returned as Chief Minister.

Jayalalithaa acquitted on appeal and returns as Chief Minister

Acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court, J. Jayalalithaa took the oath as Chief Minister for a fifth time.

Murder of Dalit engineering student Gokulraj

Dalit engineering student V. Gokulraj was abducted from a temple in Tiruchengode and murdered, in a case treated as an honour killing.

Udumalaipettai honour killing of Shankar

Dalit youth Shankar was hacked to death in a busy street in Udumalaipettai for marrying Kausalya, a woman from a dominant caste.

Kodanad estate robbery and murder

A watchman was killed during a break-in at the Kodanad tea estate in the Nilgiris, a retreat used by J. Jayalalithaa.

Supreme Court final verdict on Cauvery waters

The Supreme Court reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water slightly and ordered a scheme for implementation, leading to the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case

Arrests in Pollachi exposed a gang accused of sexually assaulting and blackmailing many women, causing statewide outrage and protests.

Sathankulam custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennix

A father and son detained by Sathankulam police during the lockdown died after being beaten in custody, causing national outrage.

Vengaivayal drinking water tank contamination

Human faeces were found in an overhead water tank serving Dalit families in Vengaivayal village of Pudukkottai district.

Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu's jallikattu law

A five-judge Constitution Bench upheld the Tamil Nadu law that allowed jallikattu to be held after the 2017 protests.

Minister V. Senthil Balaji arrested by the ED

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam.

Anna University campus sexual assault case

A student was sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus; the sole accused was convicted and sentenced to life in 2025.

Supreme Court rules against Governor's withholding of bills

The Supreme Court held that Governor R. N. Ravi acted illegally in withholding assent to ten re-passed bills and set timelines for Governors.

Life sentences in the Pollachi sexual assault case

All nine accused in the Pollachi case were found guilty by a Mahila court in Coimbatore and given life imprisonment.

Custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar

Temple watchman Ajith Kumar died after being held by police in Sivaganga district over a theft complaint; the case went to the CBI.